The final insult
The Springboks are expecting gracious favour from Lady Luck, God and the Highveld hoodoo but none of these intangibles will be enough to prevent another historic Australian win.
Slim chances of re-entering the Tri-Nations race evaporated with the capitulation at Kings Park, and there’s been subsequent talk about how this Ellis Park fixture is an opportunity to regain some pride. But what if the Boks fall to Australia on the Highveld for the first time since 1963? That would be the final insult. It would complete the plummet from champs to chumps in less than 10 months.
Keo.co.za looks at several reasons why Robbie Deans’s tourists will head back Down Under on a high.
BATTERY TAKES IT’S TOLL
Another week, another casualty. It’s a phrase that be will used to describe the Boks’ 2008 Tri-Nations campaign in years to come (as well as a few less-than-kind adjectives). The disaster in Durban cost South Africa another first-choice winger in JP Pietersen, a loss that comes just a week after Bryan Habana bowed out with a hamstring tear. CJ van der Linde has been banned for four weeks and will also be missed in a tight clash. For a side that’s already struggling, it’s almost unfair to expect the reserves to gel with the incumbents, let alone provide gamewinning touches.
The Aussies’ appeal of Rocky Elsom’s ban proved successful allowing the blindsider to hold onto his starting position. The Wallabies midfield looks no less formidable with Timana Tahu replacing the injured Berrick Barnes. The tourists may have lost lock Dan Vickerman but it is the hosts who are the more depleted and deflated outfit.
KICKING CHAOS
While it’s tempting to get stuck into those less-than-kind adjectives and phrases, it’s best to look at Peter de Villiers’s own errant slurs when it comes to tactical kicking. De Villiers assumed the Aussies had an inferior tactical kicking game ahead of that Kings Park Test, but Matt Giteau went on to break the Boks with his well-weighted chips behind the defence. Aside from Tahu, every member of the visiting backline has a healthy boot and the back three is strengthened in this area by the return of Adam Ashley-Cooper.
De Villiers has ignored last week’s result and picked two wingers not known for their kicking prowess, ditto the centres. Conrad Jantjes has the goods, but has failed to deliver in this vein in 2008, and the same goes for Butch James and Fourie du Preez. Why wasn’t Percy Montgomery selected for a match that is bound to see plenty of tactical kicking? A back three of Montgomery, Jantjes and Jongi Nokwe provides more balance in this regard.
BREAKDOWN WAUGH
Rumour has it he’s been locked in a dark cellar for seven days and fed on nothing but small scraps of meat, but Deans has finally decided to unleash the rabid force that is Phil Waugh. George Smith earns a break ahead of the Wallabies’ more important fixture in Brisbane, and so Waugh gets an opportunity to show the new coach what he can do with a start.
The problem with the South African back row is their failure to fire as a unit, and the persistence with Pierre Spies and the axing of Joe van Niekerk could prove costly. Elsom’s beat the law and you’d expect him to produce another big performance at the tackle point, and watch out for another prominent breakdown beast in Tatafu Polota-Nau.
SET-PIECE SCRAP
The scrumming was a positive for the Boks last week, but the problems at lineout time cannot be ignored. There was talk about the Aussie jumpers encroaching on the Boks’ side, but you’d expect experienced players like Victor Matfield and Juan Smith to rise above this sort of pressure. Hugh McMeniman and Elsom will look to spoil South African ball and James Horwill is one of the most underrated players in the Aussie side. They’ll miss Vickerman, but another bumbling Bok showing in this area will make their jobs a whole lot easier.
Prediction: It’ll be a sad end to a disappointing tournament for the world champions. Although they’ve been hit by numerous injuries, they will lament their own mistakes and perhaps finally admit that the current approach is flawed. Australia by 5.
Springboks – 15 Conrad Jantjes, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Adrian Jacobs, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Jongi Nokwe, 10 Butch James, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Juan Smith, 6 Schalk Burger, 5 Victor Matfield (c), 4 Andries Bekker, 3 Brian Mujati, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Beast Mtawarira.
Subs: 16 Adriaan Strauss, 17 Jannie du Plessis, 18 Danie Rossouw, 19 Luke Watson, 20 Ricky Januarie, 21 Ruan Pienaar, 22 Percy Montgomery.
Australia - 15. Adam Ashley-Cooper, 14. Peter Hynes, 13. Stirling Mortlock (c), 12. Timana Tahu, 11. Lote Tuqiri, 10. Matt Giteau, 9. Sam Cordingley, 8. Wycliff Palu, 7. Phil Waugh, 6. Rocky Elsom, 5. Hugh McMeniman, 4. James Horwill, 3. Matt Dunning, 2. Tatafu Polota-Nau, 1. Benn Robinson
Subs: 16. Stephen Moore, 17. Al Baxter, 18. Dean Mumm, 19. George Smith, 20. Brett Sheehan, 21. Ryan Cross, 22. Drew Mitchell.
By Jon Cardinelli
August 29th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
#695 WP Till I Die:
Hey hey, that’s just showing off
August 29th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
#695 WP Till I Die:
Do you need treatment?
August 29th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Hi All,
I know it is different topic but wouldn’t this be cool… 16 teams in Super Rugby, break it up into 4 seperate groups, top 2 go through to quarters, home and away legs, the finals (1 off). It means any team that gets knocked out early can put its players back into Vodacom Cup (maybe help it become more popular), while also limiting the top teams to play a maximum of 8 games. Knock out will also make it much more exciting at the end. And you could have longer breaks between games, due to fewer games. i.e. 2 week breaks between home and away quarters and finals…
thoughts?
August 29th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
#695 WP Till I Die:
Contagious it seems ….
August 29th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
#697 Richie_7:
Hy is nie vet nie, mens wil sommer net aan hom vat en jy weet jy sal vasklou.
Biff is the word.
August 29th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
#701 Richie_7:
It’s called a relay.
August 29th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
Are the posts disappearing?
August 29th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
#693 Hazzard: Does that mean our S14 teams will be in NZ and OZ for even longer? We are going to complain about the time on the road being even longer then. Maybe they can use us as a home base as we always help the Samoans here by giving them games agains the Boks. They also came here to train before the World Cup last year. Otherwise when Argie eventually gets to the 3N (4N) we could give them Cape Town as a home game? Then NZ and OZ will have to travel here much more too.
August 29th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
#526 Nemesis: For sure, you are so right, Adi’s got double the talent…
August 29th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
Why do you guys need to give yourselves tennis elbow by repeated repetitive wrist movements when there are so many able young ladies out there.
August 29th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
#706 WP Till I Die:
It’s called “skills”
August 29th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
#700 Dawn:
# 683 poppa69 Reply to this comment Goto comment Report comment
August 29th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
#675 David: no argument there … but surely nows the time to blood new players , you know , how just about every team nowadays says its alright, we’re building for the WC, who cares in between, what matters is the 6 weeks every 4 years….
August 29th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
#710 Dawn:
STDs.
August 29th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
#710 Dawn:
Same reason women wear makeup and perfume Dawn………..
……………..cause they’re ugly and they stink
August 29th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
Thanks Pietman
August 29th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
#711 Richie_7:
Ball skills?
August 29th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
#703 Hazzard: I think it could work as the guys are so tired will all the travel and now they are thinking of making the S14 longer. So will have to change it a bit.
August 29th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
#699 tight head: Thanks bro……. good coming from you !
#698 WP Till I Die: Hehehehe, jou vuil-uil !
August 29th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
its the day before a test match and no hype? Something is a miss…
August 29th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
#716 WP Till I Die:
Playing whats in front of them – LMAO !!!!
August 29th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
Sjoe , kyk net hoe word ons bowlers gemoker. Nog ‘n swart naweek vir sports.
August 29th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
Cheers all out of here now. Chat later.
August 29th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
#716 WP Till I Die:
It’s all about ball rentention
August 29th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
#714 Richie_7:
August 29th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
#678 Pietman: not sure who this other buck is, he doesn’t seem to mind using such a similar nick
August 29th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
#714 Richie_7: you not a maritzburg varsity old boy by any chance?
August 29th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
#723 Richie_7:
And distribution
August 29th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
#723 Richie_7:
and about staying on your feet to play the ball – LOL
August 29th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
#723 Richie_7:
And maintaining ball security in contact
August 29th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
#695 WP Till I Die: who’s double fault is that?
August 29th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
#725 BuckT: Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. The Chinese have been flattering western products for years now.
August 29th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
#710 Dawn: Ja dawn help a brother out! lol
August 29th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
#726 rangerman:
Hmm, why?
August 29th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
holy Sh%T – 84 without loss after 11.1…
August 29th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
I for one, initially gave PDV a bit of leeway, but his latest comment is F*uckin crazy.
“We didn’t say we will win or lose, we have no control over whether we win or lose. But we don’t work to lose,” said De Villiers.
What ****! Any decent coach plans to win – PLANS!!!!!!
Observe the opposition strengths and weaknesses and use these, combined with your own PLAN to swing the chances of a victory in your favour.
I accept that sometimes the bounce of the ball can sway a game, but you have to do all you can to secure a win.
CHOP.
My patience is gone.
I NEED A DRINK!
August 29th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
#733 Richie_7: answer the question richie.
August 29th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
#729 WP Till I Die:
#728 SyKoPlaya:
Play the “expansive” game
August 29th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
was i looking at the last innings scorecard perhaps??
August 29th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
#736 rangerman:
Uhm, ok no
August 29th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
Bye Guys and Gals – have a great week-end.
August 29th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
#710 Dawn:
We are busy, rugby on TV, dop and braai and all that, no time to chat up the ladies…maybe after the rugby season we will give it another a shot.
August 29th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
#739 Richie_7: ok, that was a popular saying in maritzburg when i was there.
just checking.
August 29th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
#734 BuckT: Bloody hell !!!!!!! this is just downright embarrassing
August 29th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
#740 SyKoPlaya: enjoy.
August 29th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
#656 rangerman:
Ranger,I keep knocking but no one answers. You don’t want to come out to play. It’s again an empty garden out there and no one wants to come out to play.
Truly its only a game so come out to play please as I keep knocking but no one answers.
Right now it’s 87/0( but the 4s & 6s are flying) and King Kev of the Surrey Oval ‘KOP’ has not entered the garden yet.
That Biff claim is woeful , he is **** scared of King Kev and you know good guys come last. Smith is an absolute skunk.
Don’t take me too seriously but serious enough though.
August 29th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
#714 Richie_7: quite the playa…i see
August 29th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
#742 rangerman: You’ve got mail…..
August 29th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
#737 Richie_7:
Enter through the gate
August 29th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
#735 black_marc: I`ll join you. Make mine a double.
August 29th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
#743 EEE: howdy tripple, got your mail and i will drop you a reply when i am not so lazy.